The Cleomenean War was fought by Sparta and its ally, Elis, against the Achaean League and Macedon. The war ended in a Macedonian and Achaean victory. In 235 BC, Cleomenes III ascended the throne of Sparta and began a program of reform aimed at restoring traditional Spartan discipline while weakening the influence of the ephors. When, in 229 BC, the ephors sent Cleomenes to seize a town on the border with Megalopolis, the Achaeans declared war. Cleomenes responded by ravaging Achaea. At Mount Lycaeum he defeated an army under Aratus of Sicyon, and then routed a second army near Megalopolis. Meanwhile, in domestic politics, he ordered the assassination of the ephors. In quick succession, Cleomenes cleared the cities of Arcadia of their Achaean garrisons, before crushing another Achaean force at Dyme. Facing Spartan domination of the League, Aratus was forced to turn to Antigonus III Doson of Macedon and request that he assist the Achaeans' efforts to defeat the Spartans. Cleomenes eventually invaded Achaea, seizing control of both Corinth and Argos. When Antigonus arrived in the Peloponnese, however, Cleomenes was forced to retreat to Laconia. He fought the Achaeans and the Macedonians at Sellasia, but the Spartans were routed. Cleomenes then fled to the court of his ally, Ptolemy III of Egypt, where he ultimately committed suicide.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleomenean_War

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1671:

Irish-born Colonel Thomas Blood was caught trying to steal the English Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Blood

1877:

An 8.5 Ms earthquake struck the northern portion of Chile and killed 2,541 people, including some as far away as Hawaii and Japan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1877_Iquique_earthquake

1918:

First World War: Germany repelled Britain's second attempt to blockade the Belgian port of Ostend. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Ostend_Raid

1977:

The Hotel Polen in Amsterdam was destroyed by fire, which resulted in 33 deaths and 21 injuries. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Polen_fire

1992:

An underground methane explosion at the Westray Mine occurred in Plymouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, killing all 26 coal miners who were working at the time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westray_Mine

2004:

Akhmad Kadyrov, the first President of the Chechen Republic, and about 30 others were killed by a bomb during a World War II memorial victory parade in Grozny. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhmad_Kadyrov

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

fuzzword: A term that is deliberately vague or euphemistic in meaning. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fuzzword

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Were art to redeem man, it could do so only by saving him from the seriousness of life and restoring him to an unexpected boyishness. The symbol of art is seen again in the magic flute of the Great God Pan which makes the young goats frisk at the edge of the grove. All modern art begins to appear comprehensible and in a way great when it is interpreted as an attempt to instill youthfulness into an ancient world. --José Ortega y Gasset https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Ortega_y_Gasset